Need some help...

Well I am kinda new to the forum and have been spending most of my time on the reloading pages however I have a general question so here I am.

After a few years of pushing and prodding I managed to get my wife interested in hunting. She had always liked shooting and is damned accurate as well. She did hunters ed earlier this spring and we went out and bought her a new Browning A-bolt in .243.

I think I made a mistake when I told her she could choose her own shotgun though. She is shopping by looks and not purpose. Her first choice was a Benelli Legacy in 28 gauge which I was able to side step simply because it wasn't going to be very useful in a duck or goose blind let alone pheasant and turkey hunting.

She picked out several other model shotguns in both 20 and 12 gauge. the problem is I took her to Cabela's and the lowest price model she has chosen is $1800.00. Not that there is anything wrong with an $1800.00 shotgun, it just doesn't seem practical and I really am a tight ass.

I own a Benelli SBEII but my first choice for hunting is my battle scared Remington 870 Wingmaster. I actually own 2 12 gauge Wingmasters but the newest one is not like the 10 year old version. So I really am a pump fan.

I'm not sure if my problem is she wants me to drop 2k on a shotgun she will only take out a couple times a year in a sport she seems to like but may end up giving up on just as soon or if I am just a tight ass who likes pumps more than autos?

I guess what I am looking for here are some suggestions on good solid shotguns that look good or if you all think I should quit squeaking when I walk and let her have the high end shotgun she thinks is "pretty."

Squeak when you walk or not, 2K on a scatter-gun that may only get used a couple times a year.......... I don't think so!!! Don't be a semi-auto hater just cuz you prefer pumps. Hey, I do too but wouldn't hesitate picking up a Rem 11xx at the right price.

Firm rule, she can't buy one unless she can shoot one first. That should eliminate most of the high ticket items. Rule two it must be adequate for the job. A 20 will do that and a 2 3/4" shell will handle 90% of your shooting without busting the bank or her shoulder. That still gives her thousands of options that your wallet can live with. We all wanted a Corvette but most of us had to settle for a station wagon or a pickup truck. That's life.

Well I am glad to see I am not going crazy here. I don't hate autos, I just had a bad experience with one early on in my hunting "lessons" with a jam that held me up through a flock of geese. Took forever to clear and I missed out on the only flock that came in on my first goose hunt. Gun shot well before and shot well after as it still does today. I simply have more faith in my old faithful Wingmaster.

I do admit I am limited on my knowledge of shotguns though. I guess I found something that worked and quit looking as my obsession fell to rifles and long range accuracy rather than shotguns.

Anyway thanks for the ideas so far. I will look them up and shoot them her way in hope of sparking a idea in her mind.

Old Grump, it won't help to tell her she can't have it if she can't shoot it because she can and will shoot anything. She is pretty damned accurate too. She shot my friends .50 S&W with hot loads and a slight flinch after the first round. She shoulders my fathers 12 gauge Nova with 3.5" Turkey loads without complaint so that isn't really an issue. She has also been able to work the actions of all the semi-autos she has looked at so far. Her arms are a little short to shoulder them all right but she accepts that and moves on. About the only issue she has had is loading the 11th and 12 rd into one of my Springfield XD mags and even I think they are pretty tight. Unlike my wife, I would take my pickup over a corvette any day just because I wouldn't have a problem taking my pickup in the field but I would have a problem taking a vette on a good dirt road!

i have 2 remington 1100's best shot guns i ever shot i have shot benelli's and mossbergs but none of which compare to my 1100....the 1187 is pretty much the same thing jus a newer model....cant go with a remington 1100 or 1187

Old Grump, it won't help to tell her she can't have it if she can't shoot it because she can and will shoot anything. She is pretty damned accurate too. She shot my friends .50 S&W with hot loads and a slight flinch after the first round. She shoulders my fathers 12 gauge Nova with 3.5" Turkey loads without complaint so that isn't really an issue. She has also been able to work the actions of all the semi-autos she has looked at so far. Her arms are a little short to shoulder them all right but she accepts that and moves on. About the only issue she has had is loading the 11th and 12 rd into one of my Springfield XD mags and even I think they are pretty tight. Unlike my wife, I would take my pickup over a corvette any day just because I wouldn't have a problem taking my pickup in the field but I would have a problem taking a vette on a good dirt road!

Thanks again for the suggestions, I look forward to any more too.

Mike

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I meant don't buy a particular model unless you shoot it first. This gives her more exposure to a greater variety of guns and may get you into a gun that fits her but isn't quite as high dollar.

Wasn't trying to knock your words Old Grump. Stated the way you did in the last post I agree 100%.

pdg929- I love my original Wingmaster but it took some serious polishing to get my new Wingmaster to function even half as smooth as the old one. I kind of have a bad taste in my mouth over that and a 700bdl that I purchased and had to send back 2x because of rust coming through the finish. I don't know if I simply ended up with the lemons of the year or if the quality went down hill because of the holding company ownership as some have speculated. I like the 1100s I have shot but have not tried a 1187 or the Versamax which both seem to be well made.

I sure do wish we had some more try it before you buy it options in my area or that I knew more people who shot. I have seen advertisements for a range over in Post Falls Idaho that lets you shoot pretty much anything made. Maybe I will call them and see what kind of a shotgun selection they have. You have me thinking now Old Grump!

I would stop being so tight and buy her the one she wants. She will be more likely to go hunting and shooting if it is something she like and thinks is HER gun. Do you go and pick out her bra's and panties? Nope so don't pick out her gun let her pick it out.

How about a nice used one? I see all kinds of used shotguns, pretty reasonable too. I bought a used Baretta A2 that was like new condition for a 100 bucks; luv that little gun for all the stupid chickens. Oh how I wish the wifey liked me buying expensive guns, ha ha.

I would stop being so tight and buy her the one she wants. She will be more likely to go hunting and shooting if it is something she like and thinks is HER gun. Do you go and pick out her bra's and panties? Nope so don't pick out her gun let her pick it out.

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I have to agree with that. If she picks it out it's hers and she knows it. If you pick it out she's always going to feel you got something YOU wanted and she won't feel like it's really hers. If it keeps her happy spend 2000 on it and give her a can of pink Krylon to go with it if she she wants it.

I would stop being so tight and buy her the one she wants. She will be more likely to go hunting and shooting if it is something she like and thinks is HER gun. Do you go and pick out her bra's and panties? Nope so don't pick out her gun let her pick it out.

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Take your wife to a skeet shooting range! You will find many different types of shotguns, and from inexpensive, to very expensive! I can tell you right now that any shooter there will let her try a shot or two with their gun! Once she has decided on what gun she wants, take it to the local gun smith, and have the smith measure her length of pull, to the gun, and shorten it to a proper length for her.

Take your wife to a skeet shooting range! You will find many different types of shotguns, and from inexpensive, to very expensive! I can tell you right now that any shooter there will let her try a shot or two with their gun! Once she has decided on what gun she wants, take it to the local gun smith, and have the smith measure her length of pull, to the gun, and shorten it to a proper length for her.

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I agree with carver. Also; $1,800 is NOT a lot of money for a good o/u or s x s shotgun. Finally; if she wants a 28 gauge, it's perfectly fine for upland birds and you have already said you have 12 gauge guns for ducks. I don't use my upland guns for ducks either. I've killed LOTS of upland birds with a 28 gauge 870, including wild pheasants.

Took me a while to get back to this post...She finally settled on an 870 supermag in realtree with a 26' bbl. She shoots pretty good with it so far and it was a hell of a lot cheaper than the others she was looking at.

The priority this year was just getting her into something she could shoot and then later as our budget allows we can get some of the stuff she wants. The 870 did that for her and now we can focus our time in the field.